On collective goods,private wealth,and the core solution of simple games with sidepayments

This essay identifies consequences for the core solution in a class of social decision problems concerning the provision of collective goods (or bads) if the rules are modified to permit sidepayments. In these problems, a kind of formal decision procedure that includes any weighted or unweighted majority rule governs only the decision about collective goods. Each decision about collective goods, however, implies a vector of the agents' endowments of private wealth that can, but need not, vary across the alternatives. Any agent may offer to make sidepayments from this endowment that are contingent on the collective goods decision, but the agent holds preferences that, given any fixed decision about collective goods, strictly increase in the agent's own wealth. The results indicate that the core's response to introducing the possibility of sidepayments depends on whether any agent possesses a veto over the collective goods decision. If no one has a veto, then an outcome belongs to the core of the game with sidepayments only if no sidepayment is made and the same decision about collective goods belongs to the core of the associated game without sidepayments. In this case, introducing the possibility of sidepayments does not bring a new collective goods decision into the core. Indeed, merely adding the possibility of sidepayments can cause the core to vanish. On the other hand, if at least one agent possesses a veto, then introducing sidepayments can (but need not) lead to a new core solution concerning the decision about collective goods. In any such new solution, at least one agent who has a veto — but no one who lacks it — receives a sidepayment.     

Deregulating Federalism? The Politics of Mandate Reform in the 104th Congress

This article examines the politics and substance of mandatereform in the 104th Congress. It briefly describes the evolutionof the mandate issue, examines the process by which the issuewas placed on the national agenda, and traces the formulationof a legislative response. It analyzes in detail the politicsof enacting mandate-reform legislation, paying particular attentionto patterns of support and opposition and to changes in thesepatterns over time. It concludes by examining the prospectsfor successful implementation of the legislation and its likelyconsequences for the intergovernmental system.     

Transborder Cooperation, Regional Initiatives, and Sovereignty Conflicts in Western Europe: The Case of the Upper Rhine Valley

Transborder cooperation in Western Europe has made considerableprogress. Primarily because of the activities of local groups,such as the Regio Basiliensis, and the support of internationalorganizations, such as the Council of Europe, the Upper RhineValley and other European border regions have succeeded in voicingtheir interests in a fairly cohesive manner. However, the continuedemphasis of national governments on sovereignty and nationalinterests has prevented international border regions from achievingsuch basic goals as infrastructure integration and harmonizationof environmental policy. Present forms of transborder politicalactivity have been insufficient to overcome conflicts betweenregional needs and national interests. For this and other reasons,European border regions have resorted to new local economicand political initiatives to argue more forcefully for borderregion demands. In pooling the combined resources of its Swiss,French, and German participants, the Upper Rhine Program ofInnovation might well serve as a model for this kind of regionalinitiative, perhaps setting a precedent for future forms oftransborder political activity.     

The Rise of Competitive Federalism

This article challenges the prevailing view of increasing political and fiscal centralization in the federal government. Since 1978, the authors argue, the nation has entered a new era of "Competitive Federalism" with federal, state and local governments locked in a competitive struggle for taxpayer resources and support. The new era has emerged largely because of the loss of the tremendous fiscal advantage held by the federal government during its centralization period, 1929 to 1978. Although "deregulated" and free to move into any area of domestic policy, the federal government is constrained by necessary budget pressures and a "reformed" income tax structure. Competitive Federalism has emerged as a new balancing force between Washington, D.C. and the fifty state-local governments and will govern the federal system for the foreseeable future.     

B. Reviews: bibliographies and works of reference

INDEX DES HITAT: INDEX ANALYTIQUE DES OUVRAGES D'IBN DUQMAQ ET DE MAQRIZI SUR LE CAIRE. Volumes I‐III. By AHMAD ‘ABD AL‐MAJID HARIDI. (Textes arabes et études islamiques, XX.) Cairo, Institut François d'Archéologie Orientale, 1983–84. 3 vols. 463; 221; 389 pp.

WESTERN SAHARA: A COMPREHENSIVE BIBLIOGRAPHY. Compiled by LYNN F. SIPE. (Garland Reference Library of Social Science, 178). New York, Garland Publishing, 1984. 418pp. One map (based on United Nations map No.2547/Rev 2).

BAHRAIN. Compiled by P.T.H. UNWIN. (World Bibliographical Series. 49). Oxford & Santa Barbara, Clio Press, 1984. xxxii, 265pp. Map. £33.00.

CATALOGUE COLLECTIF DES OUVRAGES EN LANGUE ARABE ACQUIS PAR LES BIBLIOTHEQUES FRANÇAISES, 1952–1983. Préparé par GEORGES HADDAD et MOHAMMED SAID... München, K.G. Saur, 1984. 4 vols. 2667pp. DM 800.—

ARAB AND ISLAMIC INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION DIRECTORY 1984/85. Edited by UNION OF INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS. (Guides to International Organizations, no.2.) München, K.G. Saur, 1984. 484pp. DM 248,‐.

INTERNATIONAL DIRECTORY OF ISLAMIC CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS. Prepared by ACAR TANLAK and AHMED LAJIMI. Istanbul, Organisation of Islamic Conference, Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture, 1405/1984. (Distributed in the U.K. by Kegan Paul International.) 337pp.

SUFI SYMBOLISM. By JAVAD NURBAKHSH. (Nurbakhsh Encyclopedia of Sufi terminology, vol.I.) London, Khaniqahi‐Nimatullahi Publications, 1984. 228pp. £15.00

IRAN: POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT UNDER THE PAHLAVIS. AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY. By DARIUSH GITISETAN. Metuchen, Scarecrow Press, 1985. xi, 201pp. £15.00.

GUIDE TO REFERENCE BOOKS FOR ISLAMIC STUDIES. By C.L. GEDDES. (Bibliographic Series, No.9.) Denver, American Institute of Islamic Studies, 1985. xiii, 429pp. US $45.00.

MU'JAM AL‐MU'ALLIFIN AL‐SURIYYIN FI AL‐QARN AL‐'ISHRIN. By ‘ABD AL‐ QADIR ‘AYYASH. Damascus, Dar al‐Fikr, 1985. 544pp.

WILLIAM BEDWELL THE ARABIST, 1563–1632. By ALASTAIR HAMILTON. (Publications of the Sir Thomas Browne Institute, Leiden, New series, no.5.) Leiden, E.J. Brill & Leiden University Press, 1985. 163pp. 13 plates. HFI. 46.—

BUCHWESEN IN BOSNIEN UND DER HERZEGOWINA (1800–1878). By JOZO D?AMBO. (Arbeiten und Bibliographien zum Buch‐ und Bibliothekswesen; 2.) Frankfurt am Main, Peter Lang, 1985, 231pp. 2 maps and charts. SFr. 45/US$ 19.55.

MU'JAM AL‐MUSTALAHAT AL‐MASRIFIYYA WA‐MUSTALAHAT AL‐BURSA WA‐L‐TA'MIN WA‐L‐TIJARA AL‐DUWALIYYA. LEXIQUE DES TERMES BANCAIRES: ARABE‐FRANÇAIS‐ANGLAIS. GLOSSARY OF BANKING TERMS: ARABIC‐FRENCH‐ENGLISH. By FARIDI BAZ (Freddie Baz), MAKRAM SADIR (Makram Sader) and JURJ ABI SALIH (Georges Abi Saleh). Beirut, Middle East Media. 1985. (Distributed by MEED Books, London.) 309pp.

CATALOGUE No.555: ORIENTAL MANUSCRIPTS: Offered for sale by E.J.BRILL. Leiden, E.J. Brill, 1986. 161pp. HFI. 15.‐

SHORT GUIDE TO MODERN STAR NAMES AND THEIR DERIVATIONS. By PAUL KUNITZSCH and TIM SMART. Wiesbaden, Harrassowitz, 1986. 64pp. DM 39.80.

OSMANLI ?MPARATORLUGU'NDAN GÜNÜMÜZE BELGELERLE MÜZ?K (NOTA) YAYINCILIGI (1876–1986). MUSIC PUBLICATIONS FROM OTTOMAN EMPIRE UP TODAY [sic] (1876–1986). By BÜLENT ALANER. (Belgelerle Türk Müzik Tarihi Dizisi, I.) Ankara, Anadol Yaymcilik, 1986. 99pp. 70 ills. (mostly photo‐reproductions from published sheet music).

THE PALESTINIAN PROBLEM AND UNITED STATES POLICY: A GUIDE TO ISSUES AND REFERENCES. By BRUCE KUNIHOLM and MICHAEL RUBNER. (Guides to contemporary issues, 5). Claremont (USA), Regina Books, 1986. 157pp. £16.50 (hardback); £10.45 (paperback).

ENGLISH‐ARABIC DICTIONARY OF COMPUTER TERMS. By FIRAS H. ALI London, Edward Arnold, 1986. 109pp.

ARABIC COMPUTER DICTIONARY: ENGLISH‐ARABIC, ARABIC‐ENGLISH. Compiled by MULTI‐LINGUAL INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHERS LTD. General Editor ERNEST KAY. London, Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1986. 177 + 127 pp. £30.00

AFGHANISTAN: AN AMERICAN PERSPECTIVE. A GUIDE TO U.S. OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS AND GOVERNMENT‐SPONSORED PUBLICATIONS. By JULIAN W. WITHERELL. (Near Eastern Series, no. 3.) Washington, Library of Congress, 1986. xiii, 158pp. U.S. $5.00.

A GUIDE TO ‘DOCUMENTS FROM THE NEST OF SPIES.’ By GIORGIO VERCELLIN. (Occasional paper, 26.) New York, Afghanistan Forum, 1986. 29pp.